Tag Archives: Television

Post navigation

Frank Barone: Why the hell did I let you drive?Marie Barone: Because you can’t see anymore.Frank Barone: I can see a house!

Peter Boyle and Doris Roberts in the fondly remembered sitcom Everybody Loves Raymond. Though never considered edgy or trendy, the Long Island-set show was hugely popular and won 15 Primetime Emmy Awards from 69 nominations. Though the show finshed 13 years ago, it is still regularly shown. You can find more of Frank’s acerbic wit here

Sir Winston Churchill (John Lithgow) in the historical Netflix drama The Crown (2016 – ). With a third series currently in production, the biographical show covers the life of Queen Elizabeth, stretching back to 1947. You can find mre examples of the inspirational wisdom from the great man here and here.

Barney: Well, look at the bright side, Moe: you still got us.Moe: Yeah. Yeah, you know, that — that actually makes me feel a little better.Homer: Why? That was the problem in the first place: you were going broke because we were your only customers. Wasn’t that the problem in the first place? That you were going broke? Moe? Moe? Hey, Moe. Oh! You’re thinking about all the money you blew, aren’t you. What was it? Fifty, sixty thousand dollars?

Another wonderful example of the fantastic humour in The Simpsons (1989 – ), as seen in the episode Bart Sells His Soul.

So no one told you life was gonna be this wayYour job’s a joke, you’re brokeYour love life’s D.O.AIt’s like you’re always stuck in second gearWhen it hasn’t been your day, your week, your monthOr even your year, but

I’ll be there for you(When the rain starts to pour)I’ll be there for you(Like I’ve been there before)I’ll be there for you(‘Cause you’re there for me too)

The opening lines and chorus from I’ll be There For You by The Rembrandts, from the American duo’s third studio album LP (1995). The song is far better known for being the theme tune to sitcom phenomenon Friends, a show I’ve been rewatching from the start. You can find two of the many jokes here and here.

Manny: Help me! Tell me what to say!Cameron: (into phone) Ok. How about this? You are the prettiest, smartest, funniest girl in the sixth grade. I know you’re only 11 but I can’t stop thinking about you. I’ve loved talking to you online. I think we should become boyfriend and girlfriend.Cameron: (to customers) Oh no, it’ not what you’re thinking. I’m talking to a litte boy. Oh…

Rico Rodriguez and Eric Stonestreet in the multi award-winning ensemble cast comedy Modern Family (2009 – ). You can find other examples of the show’s humour hereand here.

With the release of Ready Player One, said to feature numerous 80s references, it’s clear the 80s phenomenan shows no sign of abating. So I thought I’d include the opening titles of eight recent shows set during the 80s that highlight just how distinctive the decade. From the comedic like Everybody Hates Chris and The Goldbergs to ones with more serious themes like Stranger Thingsand The Americans.

How many of the shows have you seen? Why do you think it’s so continued to be so popular?

Jonathan Byers (Charlie Heaton) in the Netflix smash Stranger Things (2016 – ). Set in 1983 and fuelled with 80s nostaliga, it tells of a geeky set of boys in a small town who encounter mysterious forces when looking for their friend, who suddenly goes missing.

They were such a unique pair to be writing this show. Their view was from the inside out, not from the outside in. They knew the stories and the characters first-hand. I think The Wire really tore the cover off an American city and showed that, for so many people, the American dream was dead.

As said by actor John Doman, who played deputy commissioner William Rawls in the seminal drama The Wire (2002 – 2008). Set in Baltimore, each of the five series focused on a different part of the city, with the gritty show unafraid to show the complex struggles faced by the wide array of characters. You can find two examples of the show’s razor sharp dialogue here and here. You can buy the image shown above here, and read the full The Guardian article where I took the quote from, here.

Evidence doesn’t win the day. Jurors go with the narrative that makes sense. We’re here to tell the story. Our job is to tell that story better than the other side tells theirs.

Johnnie Cochran (Courtney T. Vance) in the multi-award winning The People v OJ Simpson (2016). The 10 part miniseries covers the hugely controversial and highly divisive trial of high profile former American Football player O J Simpson, accused of a double murder.